Friday, September 28, 2012

The chum salmon that swim up the Union River to spawn in August and September are a bewildering group of fish. After a depressingly low return last fall of 276 summer chum to the Union River, the population rebounded to 2,117 fish so far this year — and a few salmon are still making their way upstream and into the fish trap outside of Belfair, where the entire run is counted. The number of early chum returning this year to the Union River are beyond the expectations of anyone working with Hood Canal summer chum, said Mendy Harlow of the Hood Canal Salmon Enhancement Group. Christopher Dunagan reports. Strong summer chum run reported for Union River

Volunteers have increased the odds of survival for wild salmon in Chambers Creek with a $1,200 investment and a year’s work. Local and county officials joined the Chambers Creek Restoration Team on Thursday afternoon to celebrate the opening of the rebuilt second fish ladder at the nearly century-old dam. Volunteers and officials said the additional ladder will make it easier for returning salmon to reach 10 miles of upstream habitat and evade predators, potentially increasing salmon runs in the future. The dam is located directly north of Steilacoom next to the Chambers Creek Properties. Christian Hill reports. Volunteers celebrate new Chambers Creek fish ladder

A resolution calling for the Union of B.C. Municipalities to oppose any projects leading to expansion of oil tanker traffic through B.C. coastal waters narrowly squeaked through Thursday. The non-binding resolution, proposed at the group's meeting in Victoria by Saanich, passed with 51 per cent of the vote, with 450 votes cast, leaving both sides in the tanker debate claiming a measure of victory. Bid to stop more oil-tanker traffic approved by narrowest of margins

A recreational boater has been convicted of racing his power boat toward two orcas as they surfaced and then dove. The charges were laid after an incident in August 2010 when Fisheries officers on patrol in the waters around Quadra Island, near Campbell River, observed a recreational power boat repeatedly accelerating toward the whales. A Fisheries news release says Peterson's boat eventually powered up to within 25 metres of the animals.Boater convicted of harassing orcas near Quadra Island

A vote to request the transfer of 8,844 acres of state land around Lake Whatcom to Whatcom County for use as a park has been postponed indefinitely so the proposal can be made more specific. The Whatcom County Council voted 6-1 on Tuesday, Sept. 25, to follow the course suggested by Executive Jack Louws in a Sept. 17 memo. Before the council votes on the transfer, Louws said, county staff should develop recreation, environmental and forestry management plans for the proposed parkland, along with a budget for park development and operations. The decision Tuesday cancels an anticipated vote on the land transfer, formally called a reconveyance, that was expected at the Oct. 9 council meeting. Ralph Schwartz reports. 8,000-plus acre Whatcom County park on indefinite hold

Discussion got heated at a meeting calling for public feedback on the Clean Samish Initiative on Thursday, as some stakeholders aired frustrations and called for further investigation into the source of the Samish River’s persistent fecal coliform problems. Further microbial testing is planned for the fall and spring, instead of simply in the fall as was done previously, Rick Haley, a water quality analyst with Skagit County Public Works, said during the question-and-answer period, as other audience members echoed Mcrae’s questions about the testing. During previous testing from Oregon State University, 58 percent of markers were from ruminants, 54 percent from birds and 17 percent from humans. There were no markers from horses, which Haley said they would look at in further testing. Erinn Unger reports. Strong opinions voiced at Samish River meeting

Just as Washington environmental regulators finish up a series of meetings on oil spill readiness, a half-mile sheen appeared on the Columbia River near Longview. Contractors quickly contained the diesel spill this week. It’s one of about 1,800 spills in Oregon and Washington each year. A leaking fuel tank on a 100-foot fishing vessel poses a much smaller risk than the giant oil tankers that regularly ply Northwest waters. Environmental regulators say a spill larger than the one this week on the Columbia River could run into the billions of dollars in terms of clean-up costs and disrupted commerce. Chris Lehman reports. Columbia River Spill Comes During Series Of Oil Spill Readiness Hearings The public comment period for both proposed rules is open until Oct. 4, 2012.

People are invited to an open house at the Brightwater Center on Saturday to learn about the facility through treatment plant tours, exhibits and nature walks. The open house is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 22509 Highway 9 SE, Woodinville. The event is free. Check out Brightwater on Saturday

Taylor Shellfish has raised the bar on the oyster experience with an award-winning variety that's not-so-local. In a blind tasting four years ago, sponsored by the East Coast Shellfish Growers Association, those "west coast" Virginicas were judged number one. "Stunning," said Rowan Jacobsen, author of The Geography of Oysters. Ronald Holden writes. Taylor Shellfish: The belle of Puget Sound's oyster ball

Shoot ‘em, Dano. Old joke: Why are seagulls called seagulls? Answer – Because if they flew over the bay, they’d be called bagels. What to do about seagulls at Swantown? Those inconsiderate, over-abundant birds have been pooping all over the docks and the expensive boats moored at the Port of Olympia’s high-quality marina. Headache that won’t go away

There’s a tiny part of Washington state that is so remote you have to cross an international border twice to get there. Isolated, surrounded by water and Canadians … why did Point Roberts become a part of Washington and not Canada? Jennifer Wing wonders why. Why doesn't that part of Washington belong to Canada?

The Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary has gained a new primary member and a new alternate member to serve on its advisory council. The sanctuary, based in Port Angeles, is part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Christopher Clark will serve as the primary member, and Alan Rammer has been named as the alternate and will fill a new Marine Resource Committee seat. Marine Resource Committees — or MRCs — are science-based groups on the outer coast that promote marine resource stewardship and restoration. Clark serves on the North Pacific Coast MRC and also works for the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission as a salmon and steelhead habitat inventory and assessment GIS specialist. Rammer serves on the Grays Harbor MRC. Marine sanctuary gains two new members

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"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to: msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Thursday, September 27, 2012

Due to seasonal low water flow conditions in the Skagit River, the City of Anacortes and Skagit Public Utility District are asking water customers to voluntarily reduce water usage by 10 percent. The Skagit River and its feeder streams are a main source of water for the Anacortes and PUD water systems. At this time, there is an adequate amount of water to cover basic needs. However, we are asking customers to curtail discretionary water use in order to maintain minimum water levels in the Skagit River for the protection of fish habitat. City: Reduce water usage 10 percent Meanwhile: Planned Bottling Plant Moves Closer To Tapping Western Wash. Water

Research in the Northwest is finding new evidence that a chemical used to harden plastics can damage female reproductive systems. Researchers exposed pregnant monkeys to daily doses of bisphenol-A, also known as BPA. The chemical is found in plastics like water bottles and on cash register receipts. Courtney Flatt reports. Study Confirms BPA Damages Reproductive Systems

Clark County’s controversial approach to controlling stormwater was shot down Tuesday by the Washington Court of Appeals, which said the plan for handling polluted runoff doesn’t adequately protect waterways. A three-judge panel upheld a ruling by the state Pollution Control Hearings Board, which said a compromise, developed between the county and the state Department of Ecology, was insufficient under federal and state clean water laws. The county, which was joined in the appeal by the Building Industry Association of Clark County, has 30 days to appeal to the Washington Supreme Court. Clark County loses stormwater ruling

B.C. Premier Christy Clark has invited her Alberta counterpart for a meeting on the proposed Northern Gateway oil pipeline when Clark is in Calgary early next week. But the invitation to Alison Redford, contained in a letter released publicly Wednesday, isn't exactly a thaw in the relationship that grew frosty over B.C.'s five demands that must be met before the province will support Enbridge's bid to build the pipeline, which would run from the Alberta oilsands across B.C. to the port of Kitimat. B.C. premier seeks pipeline meeting with Alberta's Redford

Gail Evert held the glass flask to her nose and sniffed. She could smell trace amounts of butanol, a kind of alcohol, in the liquid solution. Evert, 51, took a whiff from two others to be sure she could name the one with the most intense smell. The Everett woman was one of 17 people who attended a training-and-screening session Tuesday night at the Snohomish County PUD building to volunteer their sense of smell for an odor study. Amy Daybert reports. Volunteers who pass sniff test will join smelly study

British Columbia birds outfitted with tiny backpacks have shown researchers that birds of a feather do not always flock together. Forty birds from two distinct groups of Swainson's thrushes — one in Pacific Spirit Park in Vancouver and another near the Interior city of Kamloops — were fitted with penny-sized geolocators. The state-of-the-art technology recorded light intensity data just about every day for a year, as the olive-green birds migrated as far south as South America over the winter and returned to British Columbia for the summer of 2011. Tiny bird backpacks give Vancouver researchers something to crow about

About 100 years ago, marine biologists hauled the first vampire squid up from the depths of the sea. Since that time, perhaps a dozen scientific papers have been published on this mysterious animal, but no one has been able to figure out exactly what it eats. A new paper by MBARI Postdoctoral Fellow Henk-Jan Hoving and Senior Scientist Bruce Robison shows for the first time that, unlike its relatives the octopuses and squids, which eat live prey, the vampire squid uses two thread-like filaments to capture bits of organic debris that sink down from the ocean surface into the deep sea. Researchers Discover What Vampire Squids Eat: It's Not What You Think

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"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to: msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Hooray, Claudia! The quaint town of Friday Harbor, nestled into the rocky coastline of San Juan Island, is a well-known tourist hot spot and orca-watching Mecca. It’s also the home of Claudia Mills, the Jellyfish Lady of Puget Sound. Tanks bubble in the background as Mills shows me around her office at the University of Washington’s Friday Harbor Labs. Ashley Ahearn reports.The ‘Grand Duchess Of Jellyfish’ And Her Life Of Research In Puget Sound

Environmental groups on Wednesday morning will announce details of legal action against the federal government related to protection of species at risk on Enbridge’s proposed Northern Gateway route. Ecojustice says the case focuses on four species — Pacific humpback whale, Nechako white sturgeon, marbled murrelet, and southern mountain caribou — found on the Northern Gateway pipeline and shipping route. Ecojustice is bringing the case before the Federal Court on behalf of the David Suzuki Foundation, Greenpeace Canada, Sierra Club B.C., Wilderness Committee and Wildsight. Larry Pynn reports. Environmental groups taking legal action regarding species at risk on Northern Gateway route

The parent company of Columbia Fuels has spent more than $2 million to clean up a fuel spill into the Goldstream River after a tanker-truck crash on the Malahat in April 2011. But despite extensive efforts, fuel remains trapped under the highway and in adjacent bedrock, the provincial Environment Ministry says. The amount that Parkland Fuels Corp. has spent on cleanup was revealed at a sentencing hearing for the tanker-truck driver. Cost of Goldstream fuel-spill cleanup exceeds $2 million

Nearly three quarters of British Columbians say they support refining oil at a $13-billion Kitimat plant proposed by newspaper publisher David Black rather than shipping it overseas, according to a poll conducted by his company Black Press. In a telephone survey of 1,400 people in 60 B.C. communities, 37 per cent of respondents said they were in favour of the refinery and another 35 per cent were "somewhat supportive." About 13 per cent were entirely opposed to the project, and 15 per cent were somewhat opposed. Majority of British Columbians like oil refinery idea: poll

Janicki Industries, high-tech manufacturer of composite aerospace parts and molds, boat hulls and alternative-energy harvesting equipment, is now waist deep into a new venture: fish tanks. Janicki just finished manufacturing its second order of contained, in-ocean fish farming tanks for AgriMarine Holdings Inc., based in Vancouver, B.C., and has an agreement to build 10 more for the company. Mark Stayton reports. Janicki reels in fish-farming contract

Hooray, Alexandra! One of British Columbia's most vocal advocates for the preservation of wild salmon says she's not waiting to find out from a government inquiry why the Fraser River sockeye run crashed in 2009. Just hours after the Cohen Commission announced Tuesday it had received yet another extension to submit its written findings, Alexandra Morton said she has already set up her own volunteer group to test and monitor wild salmon along the coast. Morton has dubbed it the Department of Wild Salmon, a private sector organization. B.C. wild-salmon advocate side-steps sockeye inquiry to start her own

The Olympia City Council heard distinctly different views on the city’s draft Shoreline Master Program on Tuesday night. Some community and environmental groups like the plan, and other business and some residential interests don’t. It all came out in a 2½-hour public workshop to address “organizational” interests of the proposed Shoreline Master Program, including business, neighborhood and environmental interests. The sticking points included proposed regulations that would create new setbacks regulating development near the water, restricting building-height limits and ruling out certain uses entirely in some areas, such as covered moorage. Matt Batcheldor reports. Olympia City Council hears public views of proposed Shoreline Master Program

Electronic “Ravens” join hungry raptors, their eyes fixed on the flowing water below, as they swoop over the Elwha River this week. The 4½-foot-wide aircraft, resembling radio-controlled airplanes, are steered by researchers on the ground. They took flight Monday, continued Tuesday and will be in the air today. Jeremy Schwartz reports. Drones are Elwha Dam researchers' eyes in sky

The B.C. government says it expects 1.5-million tonnes of debris will hit the province's shores following the 2011 Japanese tsunami — about half the amount of garbage generated by Metro Vancouver in 2010. Still, Environment Minister Terry Lake said he's confident the province is on track in planning how to clean up the debris. B.C. expects 1.5-million tonnes of tsunami debris

Whatcom County is backing away from tougher countywide enforcement of septic system inspection laws, but all septic system owners are likely to face a new annual fee of $19 or $20 beginning in 2013. The new fee would replace existing county fees now tacked onto bills that homeowners pay private companies for inspections and pumpouts, and homeowners already complying with the law could wind up paying less in some cases, according to Whatcom County Health Department Director Regina Delahunt. The money collected from septic system owners would be used only to pay for the county's costs of regulating septic systems to comply with state and local laws. John Stark reports. Whatcom council moving toward new septic system fee

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"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to: msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Laurie MacBride in Eye on Environment writes: "Were they a form of news reporting? A historical record? Public art for creativity’s sake? What stories are behind the fading images found along the sheer granite walls of Alison Sound and Belize Inlet? Numerous pictographs, painted with red ochre on mostly south-facing white rock, can be found along these spectacular inland waterways..." The Walls Tell a Story: Alison Sound's Pictographs

The Anacortes City Council Monday night approved moving forward with the city’s application to expand its urban growth area. The OK means the county process can begin. The property, about 11 acres on the south side of Stevenson Road off Reservation Road, is being eyed by Tethys as a potential piece of a property puzzle to build a proposed bottling plant there. The council made its decision after more than an hour of discussion in front of a standing-room only crowd. Councilman Ryan Walters voted against the motion. Kimberly Jacobson reports. Council OKs moving forward with urban growth expansion process

Seven vacationing family members were hospitalized, one so severely that she was placed on a ventilator, after eating mussels tainted with a potentially deadly marine biotoxin that they had harvested from Discovery Bay over the weekend, health officials said. The woman placed on a ventilator Sunday was taken off it Monday but remained at Jefferson Healthcare Hospital in Port Townsend for observation. Rob Ollikainen reports. Seven persons hospitalized after eating toxic Discovery Bay mussels

Parents wanting to find out more about whether children's products contain specific toxic chemicals can check reports now public on the state Department of Ecology's website. The Children's Safe Product Act, signed into law by Gov. Chris Gregoire on April 1, 2008, required manufacturers to report the presence of certain chemicals in children's products, including toys, cosmetics, jewelry and baby products. Reports now public on toxic children's products

The Coast Guard and Washington Department of Ecology responded Monday morning to an oil spill from a sunken 71-foot fishing vessel near Twin Bridges Marina on the Swinomish Channel. An oil sheen was on the surface of the water above the vessel, which sank at a small dock on the west side of the channel almost below the Duane Berentson Bridge. The Coast Guard contracted Global Diving and Salvage Company to contain and clean up the spill. Boom was placed around the sheen and divers were expected to plug and patch the source of leakage. Joan Pringle reports. Cleanup of oil spill in Swinomish Channel under way

Sammamish will join more than a dozen other Western Washington cities in appealing a new set of storm water guidelines issued by the Washington State Department of Ecology. The Sammamish City Council approved spending $20,000 on the appeal as part of their consent agenda at a Sept. 17 meeting. City stormwater manager Eric LaFrance said the new regulations, which are meant to guide the storm water policies of individual cities through 2018, shift additional regulatory responsibility on cities and extend onerous and sometimes expensive storm water requirements to even small developments. Caleb Heeringa reports. Sammamish to appeal state stormwater guidelines

An exhibit about ocean pollution and orcas, dominated by the skeleton of an orca found beached at Dungeness Spit, will open at the Port Townsend Marine Science Center at noon Saturday, with free admission offered all weekend. “Learning from Orcas — The Story of Hope,” which has been in preparation since 2010, will be the centerpiece of the marine science center's natural history exhibit in Fort Worden State Park. Leah Leach reports. The clue to the stranded orca: New Port Townsend exhibit

And, Judith Lavoie writes: There's a direct link between Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead and a oneyear-old killer whale often seen around Juan de Fuca Strait and Puget Sound. Ripple is one of three young southern killer whales given names this week by The Whale Museum in Friday Harbor. ‘Ripple's mother is Deadhead, who was named to honour Jerry Garcia, and Ripple is a Grateful Dead song,’ said Connie Domenach, The Whale Museum's orca adoption co-ordinator. Grateful Dead fans cause a Ripple in local orca pod

A working group of Burien residents has come up with a compromise Burien Shoreline Master Program that they say is likely to be approved by the state Department of Ecology (DOE). Burien established a 20-foot setback between the ordinary high water mark and development. But DOE is insisting on a 50-foot buffer and an additional 15-foot setback along the developed shoreline. Michael Noakes, chair of the working group, told Burien City Council members Sept. 17 that his committee is suggesting that the developed areas along the Sound be split up into zones. Eric Mathison reports. Compromise shoreline plan presented to Burien council

Good read: Jill Lepore in The New Yorker writes about how politics became a business. The Lie Factory

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"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to: msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

What's The Future Of Puget Sound? After more than 20 years, an important advocacy organization fighting for the health of Puget Sound closed its doors in mid–September. On top of that, few candidates have been mentioning the Sound in this year's elections. Is Puget Sound falling out of political favor? KUOW's Steve Sher talks with Crosscut's Dan Chasen in the 9 AM hour of today's Weekday

Hundreds of tribal members from the Lummi Nation gathered Friday to announce the tribe's opposition to development of a facility at Cherry Point in Whatcom County to ship coal brought by train from the Powder River Basin. They ceremonially burned a check on the beach to make a statement that no amount of money could buy their support for a project that would destroy their village and burial sites on the property. The Lummi people have used the land and waters at Cherry Point for 175 generations, tribal leaders said, and even though they no longer own it, the tribe considers it sacred ground. "No deals, thank you," said Fran James, 88, a revered tribal elder called as a witness to the ceremony. "All of our elders have always told us: 'Take care of this place.'." Katie Greene photograph. Burning opposition to coal trains See also: The son and grandsons of legendary Chief Dan George gathered around a fire in North Vancouver Friday in a sacred ceremony to honour Burrard Inlet and protect it from further pollution. Sacred Tsleil-Waututh fire ritual aims to protect Burrard Inlet And also: First nation members revive ancient ritual to celebrate the changing of the seasons at North Vancouver’s Cates Park Photos: Sacred fire ritual signals summer’s end

The first major public comment period on the Gateway Pacific Terminal project application will open on Monday, September 24. During the public comment period, the co-lead agencies -- the Army Corps of Engineers, Department of Ecology and Whatcom County -- will accept written comments regarding the scope of the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). Agencies will accept public comment for 120 days, from September 24, 2012 to January 21, 2013. Public hearings will be held in Bellingham (10/27), Friday Harbor (11/3), Mount Vernon (11/5), Seattle (11/13), Ferndale (11/29), Spokane (12/4), and Vancouver (12/12). The Federal Register scoping notice is found here. Scoping begins Sept. 24 for proposed Gateway Pacific Terminal EIS

A report released Friday on potential greenhouse gas emissions from northern energy projects shows that one liquefied natural gas pipeline and terminal alone would add over three million tonnes of carbon dioxide a year into the atmosphere. Five LNG terminals are under consideration, three at Kitimat and two at Prince Rupert. The entire province of B.C. emits 62 million tonnes according to provincial government figures. The report, Jobs and Tonnes, prepared by the Pembina Institute for the environmental group ForestEthics Advocacy, compares greenhouse gas emissions from northern energy projects with the number of jobs they are expected to create and concludes that they will have a greenhouse gas footprint that is 400 times higher per job than the existing northwest salmon industry. Single gas pipeline and terminal proposed for North would add 3M tonnes of CO2 to atmosphere: report

Jefferson County commissioners will consider approval today of a letter to the state Department of Ecology that reluctantly agrees to permitting net pen aquaculture under conditional use permits. The three commissioners will discuss, and possibly approve, the letter proposed by county staff during today’s 1:30 p.m. county manager briefing session in commissioners’ chambers at the Jefferson County Courthouse. Fish farming is the last sticking point in state approval of the county’s update of its shoreline master program. Commissioners may reluctantly approve fish farming

A plastic pipe fence the length of a football field stretches across the Nisqually River near Joint Base Lewis-McChord property, signaling a new era in fisheries management for the Nisqually Tribe. The portable dam, which includes traps and augers to lift the fish into holding tanks, is designed to capture every fall chinook salmon that has made it through a gauntlet of fisheries that stretches from Alaska to the river. Once their migratory journey is halted, tribal crews sort the fish into two distinct groups: fish that were reared in one of the tribe’s two downstream hatcheries and fish that were born to naturally spawning parents upstream. “There’s nothing else like this on a Puget Sound river,” noted David Troutt, natural resources director for the tribe. “It’s a pretty big tool to help us meet harvest goals and recovery goals for Puget Sound fall chinook.” John Dodge reports. Nisqually Tribe has new tool for separating wild, raised salmon

The website is black and the phone line constantly busy, but The Land Conservancy is still alive and is appealing for patience. TLC is also asking for donations and membership fees to be sent - temporarily - by snail mail. The financially troubled conservation organization moved this month from spacious offices on Esquimalt Road to its former digs in Gonzales Observatory and the phones and website are not yet in operation. The number of staff has shrunk to about a dozen from more than 50. Further reductions are planned because it remains a challenge to meet payroll, board chairman Alastair Craighead said. The Land Conservancy in survival mode shrinks office, staff

The state Fish and Wildlife Commission is studying four options for managing the spot shrimp fishery in Puget Sound. The commission selected the options for further review after receiving input from commercial and recreational shrimp advisory groups at its Sept. 5-6 meeting. The options offer varied allocations of the state’s annual quota, splitting the catch between recreational and commercial fishermen. The commission has currently set the allocation at 50 percent for sportsmen and 50 percent for commercial fishermen. State reviews four alternatives to manage Puget Sound shrimp

The top ocean predators in the North Pacific could lose as much as 35 percent of their habitat by the end of the century as a result of climate change, according to a study published Sunday in the journal Nature Climate Change. The analysis, conducted by a team of 11 American and Canadian researchers, took data compiled from tracking 4,300 open-ocean animals over a decade and looked at how predicted temperature changes would alter the areas they depend on for food and shelter. Climate change to alter marine habitat, study says

The first confirmed case of "zombie bees" in Washington state has been found by a Kent beekeeper. Discovered in California in 2008, the bees are infected by a parasitic fly that causes the bees to lurch around erratically before dropping dead. Sandi Doughton reports. State's first case of 'zombie bees' reported in Kent

Most data centers, by design, consume vast amounts of energy in an incongruously wasteful manner, interviews and documents show. Online companies typically run their facilities at maximum capacity around the clock, whatever the demand. As a result, data centers can waste 90 percent or more of the electricity they pull off the grid, The Times found. To guard against a power failure, they further rely on banks of generators that emit diesel exhaust. The pollution from data centers has increasingly been cited by the authorities for violating clean air regulations, documents show. Power, Pollution and the Internet

And to the eternal question: "If everyone flushed at the same time, would Puget Sound overflow?" comes: "City authorities in Zimbabwe's second largest city said Saturday they were appealing to home owners to flush their toilets at a specified time as a way to unblock sewers after days of severe water rationing." Zimbabwe city residents synchronize toilet flush

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"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to: msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

A massive fin whale cruised up the Strait of Georgia to Johnstone Strait this week for the first time in recorded history. “It was photographed off Campbell River and off Nanaimo. It is the first confirmed sighting of a fin whale in Georgia Strait,” said Jared Towers, a Fisheries and Oceans cetacean research technician who has spent the summer doing photo identification of the growing number of fin whales in Hecate Strait and Caamano Sound. Judith Lavoir reports. Rare Fin whale surfaces in Strait of Georgia

The Lummi Nation in northwestern Washington is about to join other native people in the region who oppose plans to export coal through the Pacific Northwest. The tribe is expected to announce Friday its opposition to a proposed coal export facility in the Cherry Point area. That’s north of Bellingham and near its reservation. “We have a duty to the world,” [tribal member Jewell James] says. “All of us want cheap energy but we’re living in an era where the world’s heating up. Water is becoming scarce and we’re living in an environment that’s been destroyed. What does that say to our children and grandchildren." Ashley Ahearn reports. Wash. Tribe Comes Out Against Coal Export Terminal The community is invited to the Lummi Nation’s event on Friday at 12:30. For directions, see Lummi Nation speaking out against Cherry Point terminal

Christopher Dunagan in Watching Our Water Ways blogs: "Despite millions of dollars spent on research in Hood Canal, the precise causes of low-oxygen problems in Southern Hood Canal are still not fully understood, according to a report released this week by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Washington Department of Ecology. News articles about the report have created some confusion, and I’ll get to that in a moment." Hood Canal report compiles oxygen studies

Whatcom County beaches remain closed to recreational shellfish harvesting as public health officials continue to study a new marine toxin found in higher concentrations here than anywhere else in the state. Responsible for diarrhetic shellfish poisoning, or DSP, the toxin can cause flu-like symptoms and sicken people who eat tainted shellfish, and is an emerging health threat. Kie Relyea reports. New toxin showing up in Whatcom County shellfish

The Stranger asked local artists for Seattle waterfront ideas. "One: A just-for-tourists restaurant/sushi bar that serves only Duwamish River fish (caught by local fishermen). Two: A shuttle submarine from Queen Anne to Pioneer Square through storm-water pipes.-- Rodrigo Valenzuela, artist." Seattle Artists Redesign the Waterfront

With 53 miles of shoreline, Bainbridge Island has a unique relationship with the Puget Sound it is nestled within. This relationship will be the theme of the 12th Annual Bainbridge Island Environmental Conference, “Downstream: Surprising Connections Between your Life and the Marine Life of Puget Sound.” The event is co-sponsored by the Bainbridge Island Land Trust and the Association of Bainbridge Communities. From 1 to 5:30 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 23 at IslandWood, islanders can get insight on a critical topic for a place like Bainbridge. Richard Oxley reports. Stormwater will take center stage at 12th annual environmental conference

The oyster is more than a seafood favorite. It’s an ecological lynchpin in Puget Sound and on beaches around the world, so scientists are thankful the Pacific oyster is the latest creature to have its genetic code unveiled. The shellfish has a lot going on inside. Keith Seinfeld reports. Inside that mysterious goo, oysters have a story

The delay-plagued Shell Oil barge that would provide oil-spill containment for Arctic drilling has hit another bump: The project now needs environmental permits. The Washington Department of Ecology announced Thursday, Sept. 20, that it will require the companies retrofitting the Arctic Challenger to apply for stormwater permits. Ecology: Oil-spill containment barge work in Bellingham needs permits

In a rare joint admission among commissioners and staffers that the Bremerton Marina wasn't working, port Chief Executive Officer Tim Thomson said the $34 million marina is twice as large as necessary. The underlying tone was that right or wrong, the facility was built, and now they have to find a way to sustain it. Rachel Pritchett reports. Bremerton Port leaders exasperated over marina's continued struggles

A proposal for a national monument in the San Juan Islands has garnered the San Juan County Council's unanimous support, but many locals see the plan as the death knell for a way of life the islands have long enjoyed. C.B. Hall writes. San Juans monument debate shows islands' fault lines

Residents of the Samish Watershed and concerned community members are encouraged to attend a public meeting on the Clean Samish Initiative from 6 to 9 p.m., Thursday, September 27 in the Skagit County Commissioners Hearing Room at 1800 Continental Place in Mount Vernon. Partners of the Initiative will host an open house providing information about the group’s various efforts to combat fecal coliform pollution problems in the Samish Watershed. Public meeting to help combat fecal coliform pollution

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"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to: msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Washington economic forecasters said Wednesday they see a slight improvement in the state’s financial outlook, but the next governor will enter office next year staring at another shortfall. Compared with past forecasts, state government is expected to bring in about $29 million more in the current biennium, according to the Economic and Revenue Forecast Council. That should mean that lawmakers won’t need to come back for a special session to balance the budget. The biennium that begins in July may be more problematic. Finance officials expect that the state will have a roughly $500 million shortfall in that budget, with more needed as a buffer, and lawmakers are also looking to add some $1 billion in funding to education. Mike Baker reports.State’s pockets not quite so empty – until July 2013

Skagit County Public Works released its annual Water Quality Program report Wednesday, and the news about Skagit county’s waterways is a “mixed bag,” said Rick Haley, water quality analyst for the county. The report, meant to track water quality inside and outside agricultural zones, includes positive data on the Skagit River’s water quality, as well as disappointing figures on streams in the Samish and Skagit River areas. Many did not meet state water-quality standards meant to protect local salmon from poor dissolved oxygen levels and unhealthy temperatures, the report showed. “None of the 40 sites has met all water quality standards for the entire project, although some sites meet the standards most of the time,” according to the report. Erinn Unger reports. Report: Skagit’s water quality ‘a mixed bag’

A much-debated high-rise condo project at Point Wells could be kept smaller and shorter than the plans a developer has submitted, if new Snohomish County regulations pass. The code and planning changes would limit the waterfront development to about 2,600 condo units and a maximum height of 124 feet. Developer Blue Square Real Estate previously applied to build 3,081 homes in towers up to 180 feet tall. Representatives from Woodway, the city of Shoreline and the Save Richmond Beach neighborhood group said Wednesday that they're ready to support a development under the latest proposal, if the county agrees to some suggested tweaks limiting the scale. That would be a departure from years of legal challenges. Noah Haglund reports. Opponents would back Point Wells if regulations pass

Kitsap County Planning Commission put the finishing touches on a proposed Shoreline Master Program, voted unanimously to approve the document, then passed it along for final action by the county commissioners. The county commissioners have tentatively scheduled two public hearings on the shorelines plan, Oct. 22 in Port Orchard and Oct. 29 in Poulsbo, according to county planner Dave Greetham. The final debate by the planning commission focused on aquaculture, including the future development of geoduck farms and their use of plastic pipes to protect the giant clams from predators. Christopher Dunagan reports. Planning commission adopts Kitsap County shorelines plan

Vessel traffic controllers in Canada’s busiest port are sometimes temporarily blinded when the sun illuminates a spider web spun over a camera installed on Lions Gate Bridge. The officers who monitor the 3,000 foreign freighters and 80 cruise ships that arrive in Vancouver harbour annually have a backup plan for those moments when high-tech fails, however. They use binoculars and old-fashioned line of sight to augment the sophisticated radar, GPS and radio information that is constantly tracking vessels. But federal cutbacks will soon rob marine traffic controllers of that simple ability to walk to the window and take a look, says a union representative. Under an amalgamation plan, staff now perched atop an office tower over the Vancouver harbour will be relocated to Victoria next year. Mark Hume reports. Cutbacks leave port workers worried about marine safety

Canada could some day export nine billion cubic feet per day of liquefied natural gas to Asia through five proposed plants on the West Coast, Natural Resources Minister Joe Oliver told a Japanese audience this week. Those major energy projects come with little of the opposition from politicians and native groups that threaten the proposed Northern Gateway oilsands pipeline. In a speech to the Liquefied Natural Gas Producer-Consumer Conference in Tokyo this week, Oliver trumpeted Canada's status as a rising "global energy leader." Canada eyes Asian markets for B.C. natural gas exports

The Port Angeles City Council has taken money from the city's marketing and visitor signage programs to cover construction costs for the esplanade phase of the waterfront improvement project. Council members voted 6-1 Tuesday, with Councilman Max Mania opposed, to approve a $3.9 million contract to Primo Construction of Carlsborg, the lowest of four bids submitted. The entire, roughly $17 million waterfront project will be permitted as of Friday, when the city gets an Army Corps of Engineers permit to drive pilings for the esplanade. Paul Gottlieb reports. Port Angeles City Council OKs $3.9 million esplanade

The Sauk-Suiattle Tribe is studying how climate change will affect members of the tribe and the natural resources that sustain them. The homes and administration buildings of the Sauk-Suiattle reservation are on the banks of the Sauk River near Darrington. With nearly 400 glaciers in the region, the Sauk and other tributaries to the Skagit River – the Suiattle and Whitechuck – will see rapid change as the climate continues to warm. Sauk-Suiattle Tribe plans for climate change

The Capital Regional District is moving forward with sewage treatment plans by tendering a site survey for McLoughlin Point in Esquimalt. The tender closes Sept. 28. The work comes as the CRD begins the planning and implementation of its wastewater treatment program and includes setting up a program management office and a commission to oversee the project. CRD issues sewage site survey tender

“Ocean Frontiers,” by Green Fire Productions discusses the problems we face in managing our oceans and explores solutions for those conflicts. The documentary, which features on-the-ground reporting from places across the country that are at the forefront of implementing promising new approaches to ocean and coastal management, will be showing at the Orcas Center in the Madrona Room, Thursday, Sept 27., 6:30-8:30 p.m Jacques White, Long Live the Kings’ director, said the documentary has an important message of hope. “In all of Puget Sound, it is perhaps most relevant to the San Juans, and the efforts to designate a Marine Stewardship Area here are actually mentioned in the film,” White said. Cali Bagby writes. ‘Ocean Frontiers’ film showing

Patches of prairie on Central Whidbey last week were once again ablaze with the fires of science. For the third year in a row, researchers and land managers with various organizations from around the state conducted controlled burns of grasslands at Ebey’s Bluff and the Pacific Rim Institute of Environmental Stewardship. The specific goals and objectives of each group vary, but all are essentially looking at how the regular use of fire can affect prairie ecosystems and its applications for land management. Justin Burnett writes. Researchers test restoration techniques on Central Whidbey grasslands

U.S. Rep. Norm Dicks will be inducted into the Wild Salmon Hall of Fame during a Saturday night benefit for the Pacific Northwest Salmon Center.Dicks, who has served in the House since 1976, is retiring at the end of his term this year. Dicks named to Salmon Hall of Fame

The City of Gig Harbor will officially cut the ribbon on its new Maritime Pier and thank all of those who made this pier possible 3:30 p.m., Monday, Sept.24. The ribbon cutting marks a significant accomplishment for the city, and follows decades of discussions to build Gig Harbor’s commercial fishing fleet a pier. The Gig Harbor commercial fishing fleet, once the largest on the West Coast, continues the tradition today with approximately 40 active vessels. The new drive-aboard pier is 156 feet, plus ramp and float, and will provide access for loading and unloading for the fishing fleet, transient moorage and viewing, and water access for the public. Gig Harbor Maritime Pier Ribbon Cutting

There has been a lot of talk about the 1 percent, the 47 percent, the 99 percent or whatever slice of the population is lately in the spotlight. On Wednesday, we had some research on the 59 million Americans who live in households with $100,000 or more in annual income — the Mendelsohn Affluent Survey 2012, subtitled “The State of the Affluent Consumer,” which was released by Ipsos MediaCT. The results of the survey, which has been conducted for 36 years among affluent Americans, are scrutinized by marketers, media companies and advertising agencies for clues on how best to peddle goods and services to people with money. Stuart Elliot blogs. The 47 Percent May Struggle but the Top 20 Percent Are Feeling Flush

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 238 AM PDT THU SEP 20 2012 SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH THIS EVENING TODAY W WIND 5 TO 15 KT RISING TO 15 TO 25 KT LATE IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS BUILDING TO 2 TO 4 FT LATE IN
THE AFTERNOON. W SWELL 4 FT AT 12 SECONDS. AREAS OF FOG THIS MORNING REDUCING VISIBILITIES TO ONE QUARTER MILE. PATCHY FOG
LINGERING IN THE AFTERNOON. TONIGHT W WIND 15 TO 25 KT...EASING TO 5 TO 15 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT SUBSIDING TO 1 OR 2 FT AFTER MIDNIGHT. W SWE
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"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to: msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Laurie MacBride in Eye on Environment writes: "In an unusual kayaking experience this summer, we saw first-hand just how “red in tooth and claw” Mother Nature can be. We were watching a bald eagle being pursued by seagulls – a common sight on the west coast – when, with a sudden swoop, the eagle snatched a gull out of the air and made off with it, landing on a nearby islet..." Gull on the Menu

The possibility of more crude oil pipelines and oil tankers in B.C. ranks second only to the economy as the most important issue facing the province, according to a new poll of British Columbians living near a proposed Kinder Morgan pipeline expansion route. The telephone survey last month by the polling firm Strategic Communications involved 600 respondents in 19 of B.C.’s 36 ridings representing about 60 per cent of the population. The poll put pipelines/tankers slightly behind the economy and ahead of health care among the list of issues mentioned first among the “most important” issues facing the province. Oil pipelines a top concern for B.C. residents: poll See also: Opposition to Trans Mountain pipeline nearing Northern Gateway levels

The City of Vancouver will work with neighbouring municipalities to develop a ban on the sale of shark-fin products, mayor and council agreed Tuesday. “This is not an attack on culture,” said Coun. Kerry Jang, who proposed the idea of a joint ban with Richmond and Burnaby on the controversial delicacy. Vancouver council makes 'historic' move toward shark fin ban

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife agents have conducted 14 raids around the state in a series of poaching investigations, and they say dozens of people could face charges. The deputy chief of operations for Fish and Wildlife Police, Mike Cenci, says investigators are looking to speak with roughly 75 potential suspects. They range from what he describes as "the hardcore poacher who just wants to see stuff die" to the drug addict feeding a habit and restaurant owners who wanted cut-rate fish, deer or elk. Poaching raids conducted statewide; dozens could face charges

After years working to secure funding and attention from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to dredge the Swinomish Channel, many involved in the effort celebrated the start of construction with a kickoff event Tuesday morning at the Port of Skagit’s La Conner Marina. The project was awarded $2.2 million from a federal fund of $30 million for low-use navigation projects on the nation’s waterways. Mark Stayton reports. Swinomish Channel dredging kicks off

The state Department of Ecology will be at Dockton Park this week as part of anther round of park cleanups to remove arsenic- and lead-contaminated soils from play areas. Dockton is one of seven parks in the King and Pierce county area that the state has targeted for cleanup. Cleanup to take place at Dockton Park

A small dam on a productive salmon stream near Sooke will be bulldozed by Fisheries and Oceans Canada next year despite fears that this could wipe out the coho run. "We are moving ahead with decommissioning, but it's too late in the season to do it this year," said Dan Bate, DFO spokesman. "The reservoir has now been drained, so whether or not the structure is in place doesn't make much difference," he said. Dam removal could end salmon run, critics say

Portland is exploring its power to regulate the coal industry as the business looks to expand in the Northwest. If the city council passes a resolution currently under consideration, it would join the ranks of at least twenty local governments that have passed similar resolutions. April Baer reports. Portland Joins Other NW Cities Questioning Coal Trains

A provocative new study suggests a connection between the BPA chemical used in food packaging and childhood obesity, but the researchers say their findings don't prove it's the cause. While most people have traces of the plastics chemical in their bodies, the study found that children with the highest levels in their urine were twice as likely to be obese as those with the lowest. There are other factors that could explain the results, and many reasons why children gain too much weight, the researchers said. Mike Stobbe reports. Study suggests tie between BPA and child obesity And Watch out: Half of Washington residents could be obese

Eugene might become the third Oregon city to ban plastic bags, but environmentalists hope to eventually get rid of the paper ones, too. Sarah Higginbotham of Environment Oregon said her No. 1 goal is to get people to use reusable bags. She and representatives from other environmental groups spoke at a press conference Monday evening before the City Council held a public hearing on the proposed plastic-bag ban. Eugene Considers Banning Plastic Bags

In case you missed Christopher Dunagan’s account yesterday of the Hood Canal study, here’s Craig Welch’s report: The most comprehensive review ever of existing research on Hood Canal has concluded that septic systems aren't a leading cause of the massive fish kills that have hit the hooked fjord over the years. Review of science lets people off the hook for Hood Canal fish kills

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"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to: msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

RE Sources offers free workshops on Pollution Prevention for Boat Repair Businesses and Boat Owners in LaConner on October 3 and in Anacortes on October 10. Register with Lee First, (360.733.8307) and you get a free lunch, too.

Human sources of nitrogen no doubt contribute to low-oxygen problems in Southern Hood Canal, but federal and state officials say they will need more precise information before taking action under the Clean Water Act. Other actions to reduce pollution and nutrients in Hood Canal — some voluntary and some regulatory — remain under discussion by the Hood Canal Coordinating Council, which includes county and tribal officials. A new report by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Washington Department of Ecology concludes that existing studies fail to show conclusively that nitrogen from septic systems, fertilizers and other human sources have caused Hood Canal's oxygen levels to drop by 0.2 milligrams per liter — the threshold for legal enforcement. Chris Dunagan reports. Report: No conclusive blame of humans for canal oxygen levels

The Jefferson County Board of County Commissioners has moved forward management plans for Mystery Bay and South Port Townsend Bay. After Sept. 10 public hearings on the plans, the board directed staff to create resolutions to appear on a future agenda for approval. County moves ahead with PT Bay, Mystery Bay 'no anchor' zone plans

People power is helping to clean up one of Seattle's most polluted rivers. On Friday, about a hundred volunteers who work for the Boeing Employees Credit Union pitched in along the Duwamish in Tukwila. They’ve set a five-year goal of cleaning up two miles of shoreline. The Duwamish River runs through the heart of Seattle, where the city’s industrial past has left tainted soil and toxins that are harmful to humans. The natural landscape is gone. What was once a winding river was long ago straightened into a canal. Himalyan blackberries have taken over the shoreline. Now city people are pitching in to try and help fix that. Bellamy Pailthorp reports. Companies' volunteers and Forterra helping clean up Duwamish

It's the water. The wells and aquifer that supplied water for the Olympia Brewery are undergoing tests this month to map out a plan for the cities of Olympia, Tumwater and Lacey to put the water to use. The three cities purchased the water rights for 28 wells and 18 acres of property for $5.3 million in 2008, then received state Department of Ecology approval to transfer the water rights to municipal use in 2009. Under the agreement with Ecology, the cities have until 2026 to start using water from some or all of the wells. John Dodge reports. 3 cities testing brewery water

A draft environmental assessment of the Navy's proposed Hood Canal electronic measurement ranging system has been published. It describes the proposed project, its purpose and need, and identifies alternatives to be analyzed. The range would measure the electromagnetic signature of the area's submarines. Magnetic signatures can build up and be detected by planes and ships. The signatures must be reset occasionally at a magnetic silencing facility by exposing the boat to high electrical currents. Subs must now go to San Diego or Hawaii to be measured. The draft document can be viewed here. Comments can be made until Sept. 28 here. Public can comment on Navy's magnetic signature range proposal

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"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to: msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

One behemoth has been felled, with one left to go. Although the monolithic Elwha River Dam, which towered 108 feet over the Lower Elwha River Valley for nearly 100 years, has been demolished, work still remains on the once-210-foot-tall Glines Canyon Dam. And a year after removal of the Elwha and Glines Canyon dams commenced, restoration of the Elwha River is ahead of schedule — perhaps by as much as 18 months — and exceeding expectations on several fronts. Rob Ollikainen and Jeremy Schwartz report. What a difference a year makes: Elwha River dam removals ahead of schedule as project reaches first anniversary

BP Cherry Point Refinery will appeal state citations and fines stemming from a Feb. 17, 2012, fire. Refinery spokesman Mike Abendhoff confirmed that the company will appeal the six safety violations that the Washington Department of Labor & Industries alleged, and the proposed fines totaling $81,500. Most irritating to the company was L&I's finding that one of the six offenses should be classified as a "willful violation." John Stark reports. BP Cherry Point appeals state citations in wake of fire

A 24-hour demonstration at the Kitsilano Coast Guard base ended Saturday evening, but protesters say they won't stop until the federal government agrees to keep the base open. About a dozen people — including union leaders, fishermen and boat operators — staged a sit-in at the facility starting at 5 p.m. PT Friday. Protesters stage Coast Guard station sit-in to spur action

Steve Winter, chief executive officer of Tethys Enterprises, Inc., shed some light on plans to build a massive beverage bottling plant at an Anacortes Chamber of Commerce luncheon Thursday. Winter explained why Tethys chose Anacortes to locate a 1-million square-foot beverage bottling plant, the largest of it’s kind in North America; how his plant would employ at least 540 people; and clarified some aspects of a 2010 contract with the city that would allow Tethys to buy 5 million gallons of water per day through 2050. Mark Stayton reports.Tethys CEO sheds light on bottling plant

When Tribal Elder Marilyn Wandrey first walked into the new Suquamish Museum, she got goose bumps knowing that her late father's mission to create a place to preserve and share the tribe's culture was at long last fulfilled. Lawrence "Web" Webster persuaded the Suquamish Tribal Council to create the first museum in the early 1980s, and a quote by him greets visitors to the new $7.5 million facility, which had its grand opening Saturday after more than a decade of planning. Terri Gleich writes. Suquamish Museum tells the story of tribe's past and present

Dragonflies float above the water, goldfinches nibble on thistles, and a turkey vulture circles in the breeze. On the ground, a snakeskin, raccoon prints and deer and coyote scat can be found among the young Douglas fir, wild roses, alder and Oregon grape that line the trails in the city's new 9-acre Old Town Wetlands Park. In 15 years, this man-made wetlands should naturalize and provide shade to cool its water, which comes from the storm drains on 270 acres in downtown Arlington. Gale Fiege reports. Old farm in Arlington has new job: cleaning stormwater

After months of delay, a barge-mounted oil well blowout containment system built in Bellingham is undergoing sea trials before its final deployment to a Shell Oil Co. exploration project in the Chukchi Sea, north of the Bering Straits. The Arctic Challenger barge project employed hundreds of workers at the Port of Bellingham's shipping terminal through much of the spring and summer. Its owner and operator, Superior Energy Services of Houston, had expected it to be on the job by now, providing an emergency oil well blowout response system meant to prevent the kind of prolonged oil hemorrhage that resulted when BP's Deepwater Horizon erupted in 2010 in the Gulf of Mexico. John Stark reports. Oil spill barge gets final tests before heading to Arctic See also: Shell abandons Alaska offshore drilling efforts until next year

The Bainbridge Island City Council gave its initial approval of the island’s new shoreline designations as ongoing deliberations for the developing Shoreline Master Program continue. The topic of shoreline designations has drawn many island eyes, watching to see how waterfront properties and more will be regulated in the future. By a 4-3 vote, the council voted to adopt the shoreline designations as recommended by the city’s planning department at its meeting Wednesday, Sept. 5. Richard Oxley reports. Shoreline designations get initial thumbs-uphttp://www.bainbridgereview.com/news/169799926.html

Hood Canal from Seal Rock south to the Mason County line has reopened for recreational shellfishing. Levels of the marine biotoxin that causes diarrhetic shellfish poisoning — or DSP — are currently below the recreational closure level, according to the Jefferson County Public Health Department. Many of East Jefferson County beaches were closed in July because of elevated levels of DSP as well as the more potentially serious paralytic shellfish poisoning — or PSP. Many remain closed by the state Department of Health because of marine biotoxin levels, with PSP the primary biotoxin of concern. Hood Canal beaches reopen to recreational shellfish harvesting

With such a rich history and livelihood springing from the majestic Skagit River, organizers of (last Saturday’s) first annual Skagit River Salmon Festival said creating an event around it and its salmon seemed like a no-brainer. “We’ve said all along, as important as the Skagit River is, it ought to have its own river festival and salmon festival,” said Lucy DeGrace, outreach coordinator of the Skagit Fisheries Enhancement Group, an organization dedicated to salmon habitat restoration and watershed stewardship. Kate Martin reports. Festival focuses on Skagit River’s history, future

A group adamantly opposed to trophy hunting of grizzly and black bears has bought the commercial hunting rights in a vast area of the Great Bear Rainforest. The Raincoast Conservation Foundation now controls hunting in 28,000 square kilometres of the central coast and its latest acquisition of 3,500 square kilometres includes key areas around Princess Royal Island where there is the highest concentration of Kermode or spirit bears (black bears with white coats). B.C. conservation group buys bear hunt rights in area of Great Bear Rainforest

Researchers in the San Juan Islands say the survival of older female Orcas, after they go through menopause, helps younger males stay alive longer. That might not surprise many humans, but scientists well-versed in the behavior of Orca whales say it’s a relatively new conclusion. And, in many species, females don’t live long after the end of their reproductive life. Survival of male orcas depends on older females, study shows

For more than 60 years, most of Olympia’s drinking water has bubbled up to the surface at McAllister Springs, on an idyllic lake tucked away from public view near the Nisqually Indian Tribe reservation. But that’s about to change. After nearly two decades of effort on a $15 million project, Olympia is constructing a series of wells about a mile away from the springs, which will replace the springs by 2014. It will be Olympia’s drinking water source for at least the next 50 years. Matt Batcheldor reports. Olympia will get water from wells, not springs

Creeks west of Port Angeles are expected to run red sometime this week as part of a study on the effect of habitat changes on salmon. Scientists with the state Department of Ecology will release a red, fluorescent dye into Deep Creek and East Twin and West Twin Creeks west of Port Angeles, if the weather permits it. The dye is harmless and dissipates quickly, Ecology said, adding that it doesn’t affect humans, fish or wildlife health in any way at the very low concentrations used for such scientific study. The effort, which is funded by the state Salmon Recovery Funding Board, will help researchers measure the speed of water through the stream reach. Clallam creeks to run red for salmon

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"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to: msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

About Me

Salish Sea Communications provides communications and public relations services that raise visibility and engage audiences. Drawing on over 30 years experience in private, public and not-for-profit work, Mike Sato brings to you his skills and insights in developing and carrying out your print, electronic and social media projects and products. "I've been in the communications business since 1977 starting with community weekly newspapers then working for Seattle City Light, the Puget Sound Water Quality Authority, Hawaiian Electric Company and, for 20 years, People For Puget Sound." Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told. WA State UBI #601395482